Smithsonian Learning Lab

Smithsonian Learning Lab is a reorganization of the digital resources from its 19 museums, 9 major research centers, the National Zoo, and more. It makes the more than 1,000,000 Smithsonian resources available to anyone anywhere. Two brief videos on the homepage explain what the Learning Lab is and how it can be used in the classroom. Also included are Smithsonian staff picks and news updates. The lab can be searched or entered through three portals; discover, create, and share. There are two Getting Started Guides, one for students or general audience and one for teachers.

NOTE: This media-rich resource performs best with a fast internet connection.

Discover can be searched or browsed under three headings: Trending, Surprise Me!, and Suggested Discoveries. One of the Suggested Discoveries is a 1978 advertising poster for Levi’s Movin’ On Jeans. The image can be expanded, reduced, and feedback provided. A menu on the left side provides archival information and a link to the original. In addition, the menu lets a teacher or student add it to a collection, mark it as a favorite, share it, cite it, download it, or flag it.

Create lets users create their own collections and customize resources to fit specific needs using Smithsonian resources or resources from other sources. Annotate, add lessons and quizzes, and more. To create a collection, a user must first Sign Up for Learning Lab. Create a link to the Smithsonian Kids Online Privacy Statement is provided. Three brief videos explain how to adapt, create, and customize.

Share offers three videos on publishing, sharing on social media, and assigning collections, quizzes, and other resources.

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